How to go live on YouTube from your iPhone
Updated · 3 min read · By Suhail Saqan
Quick answer
In YouTube Studio (studio.youtube.com), choose Create, then Go live, then Stream, and copy your stream key. In Swae, tap SET UP, pick YouTube and paste the key; Swae fills in the server. Tap Done, then GO LIVE. The first time, YouTube can take up to 24 hours to turn live streaming on for your channel, so start that a day ahead.
No 50-subscriber minimum
The YouTube app needs 50 subscribers to go live from a phone, and may limit how many people can watch a small channel's mobile stream. Streaming with a stream key, the way Swae does, has no subscriber minimum listed: YouTube asks you to verify your channel with a phone number, and you must be at least 16.
What you need
- A verified YouTube channel with live streaming turned on (see step 1).
- An iPhone with iOS 18 or later, and Swae (free).
- A computer is easiest for getting the key from YouTube Studio, but Swae can open it on the phone too.
Go live on YouTube, step by step
- Turn on live streaming, once. In YouTube Studio, choose Create, then Go live. The first time, YouTube asks you to verify your channel with a phone number, and turning live streaming on can take up to 24 hours.
- Copy your stream key. In YouTube Studio, choose Create, then Go live, and open the Stream tab of the Live Control Room. Copy the stream key. In Swae, Send the link to your computer sends you the page.
- Set up YouTube in Swae. On the camera, tap SET UP and pick YouTube. Tap Paste to add the stream key. Swae fills in YouTube's server for you.
- Add your channel for chat and alerts. Optional, under "Your channel, for your chat and alerts". With it, your YouTube chat, Super Chats and new members show in Swae and on your stream.
- Choose how you'll hold your phone and tap Done. Upright plays like a Short on phones, and can show up in the Shorts feed; sideways fills computers and TVs.
- Go live. Set your title and category in YouTube Studio, then tap GO LIVE in Swae, check the review, and tap GO LIVE again.
Keep your stream key secret. Anyone with it can stream to your channel. If it leaks, reset it in YouTube Studio and paste the new one into Swae.
Settings that work on YouTube
| Setting | Use |
|---|---|
| Quality | Automatic. Swae lowers the bitrate when your network slows and raises it again: up to 6 Mbps at 1080p and 30 fps, 9 at 60 fps. |
| Resolution | 1080p: sharp on phones, computers and TVs. 4K works, but uses far more data. |
| Frame rate | 30 suits most streams; 60 is smoother for fast action but needs more upload. |
| Orientation | Upright plays like a Short on phones; sideways fills computers and TVs. |
Swae or the YouTube app?
The YouTube app can go live from your phone's camera once your channel has 50 subscribers. Swae streams to YouTube with a stream key instead, and adds what the app doesn't: scenes, chat and alerts drawn on the stream, other cameras like a GoPro, drone or Meta glasses, and Twitch and Kick at the same time.
If something goes wrong
- YouTube won't take the stream: check that live streaming is turned on for your channel in YouTube Studio. The first time can take up to 24 hours.
- Nothing shows in YouTube Studio: check the stream key; a single missing character stops it. Copy it again and tap Paste.
- The stream stops when the signal drops: when YouTube stops receiving your stream, it ends the broadcast after a short while. Leave quality on Automatic, and for streams on the move use Swae Relay, which keeps your Reconnecting screen up while you're away.
Questions
Can I go live on YouTube with fewer than 50 subscribers?
Yes, with a stream key. The 50-subscriber minimum is for going live in the YouTube app. With a stream key, as Swae streams, YouTube lists no subscriber minimum: verify your channel with a phone number, be at least 16, and allow up to 24 hours the first time.
Where is my YouTube stream key?
In YouTube Studio: Create, then Go live, then the Stream tab. Copy the stream key and paste it into Swae; Swae fills in the server.
Why does YouTube make me wait 24 hours?
The first time you turn on live streaming, YouTube can take up to 24 hours to enable it for your channel. After that, you can go live any time.
Can I stream to YouTube and Twitch at the same time?
Yes. Add both before you go live and they start together. How to multistream.
Can I go live vertically on YouTube?
Yes. Hold your phone upright: on phones your stream plays like a Short, and viewers can find it in the Shorts feed.